| The modern day private investigator can trace his | | | | capture of such famous western bad guys as |
| or her past to a French soldier and criminal of the | | | | Jessie James and Butch Cassidy and the |
| nineteenth century. With a fact like that, you | | | | Sundance Kid. The emblem of the agency was an |
| know it is an interesting story! | | | | eye with the words, "we never sleep." This |
| The story of the private investigator begins in the | | | | emblem and the Pinkerton Agency were so |
| year, 1833, when a French soldier and criminal | | | | associated with the field of private investigation |
| named Eugene Francois Vidocq opened what was | | | | that it gave rise to the expression, "Private Eye." |
| most likely the first private investigation firm. The | | | | At the end of the nineteenth century and into the |
| French police were not very happy with this | | | | early years of the 20th century, the Pinkerton |
| development and did the best they could to put | | | | Agency and other firms provided strike breakers |
| Vidocq out of business. In 1842, he was arrested | | | | and security guards during the turbulent rise of |
| for his activities, but was later cleared. Vidocq | | | | the Union movement in America. There were |
| was the father of many of the techniques of | | | | several violent confrontations between armed |
| investigation and forensic science that are still | | | | private detectives and striking union members. |
| used by police and CSI labs around the world. | | | | Several of these ended in blood shed and death. |
| In 1850, the Pinkerton Detective Agency was | | | | This forever ruin the reputation of the Pinkerton |
| opened in the United States. This agency became | | | | Agency among America's working class. |
| the most famous private investigation agency in | | | | In recent years, the private investigators have |
| history. It is estimated that at one time there | | | | become more associated with the common man. |
| were more Pinkerton detectives than members | | | | The increased wealth of the nation brought the |
| of the United States Army. During the Civil War, | | | | services of private investigators within the reach |
| the Union Army made extensive use of the | | | | of more people.. It was a time when family and |
| Pinkerton detectives who served as military | | | | divorce issues seemed to be the major stock in |
| intelligence. Their record during this conflict was | | | | trade of private investigators. Today, such things |
| very mixed. The agents in Richmond drew | | | | as Insurance fraud and the tracking of absconded |
| intelligence reports from planted newspaper | | | | debtors have taken more of center stage. Private |
| stories and greatly inflated the size of the | | | | investigators are tightening their standards and |
| Confederate armies. | | | | more and more insisting upon the name, |
| After the war, the Pinkerton Agency continued to | | | | profession investigators, to describe their work. |
| grow. They were involved in the search for and | | | | |